BASEBALL ROUNDUP: Magnolia rolls to Round 3; Montgomery forces Game 3

Jordan Groshans #4 of Magnolia heads to second after hitting a lead-off double during the first inning of a Region III-5A bi-district playoff game, Saturday, May 5, 2018, in Mumford.

Jordan Groshans #4 of Magnolia heads to second after hitting a lead-off double during the first inning of a Region III-5A bi-district playoff game, Saturday, May 5, 2018, in Mumford.

Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer

Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer

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Jordan Groshans #4 of Magnolia heads to second after hitting a lead-off double during the first inning of a Region III-5A bi-district playoff game, Saturday, May 5, 2018, in Mumford.

Jordan Groshans #4 of Magnolia heads to second after hitting a lead-off double during the first inning of a Region III-5A bi-district playoff game, Saturday, May 5, 2018, in Mumford.

Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer

BASEBALL ROUNDUP: Magnolia rolls to Round 3; Montgomery forces Game 3

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Magnolia moved on to the Region III-5A quarterfinal round with a commanding sweep of Lindale on Friday at Bryan's Nutrabolt Stadium.

The Bulldogs (26-6) took Game 1 by a score of 6-1 before closing out the doubleheader, and area round series, with a 15-1 win in Game 2.

In the quarterfinal, Magnolia will play either Ennis or Georgetown.

Magnolia won the first game behind a complete game from Adam Kloffenstein. The TCU signee pitched a complete game, struck out nine, allowed five hits and didn't walk a single batter.

The Bulldogs took the lead in Game 1 in the bottom of the fifth with three separate scoring plays and four runs.

The first scoring play, which broke a 1-1 tie, was Preston Hoffart's 2-RBI single that plated Shelby Mullins and Rance Henry. Later, Cody Wagner's single plated Connor Taylor and Magnolia led 4-1. The strong inning was capped when Hoffart walked home.

A solo home run from Kansas signee Jordan Groshans capped the Bulldogs' scoring in Game 1.

In Game 2, a strong pitching performance from Quinton Carpenter paired with explosive offense to propel Magnolia into the second round.

Carpenter went 6 2/3 innings, allowed four hits, struck out seven and walked four before the pitch count rule pulled him from the game with one out to go.

By the time Carpenter was pulled, the Bulldogs had built a 15-1 lead that stood as the final score.

Magnolia scored five runs in the top of the third inning, highlighted by a 2-run triple from Wagner.

Two more Bulldogs runs came across in the seventh before Magnolia put eight across the plate in the top of the seventh.

Consecutive singles from Bo Willis, Wagner and Kaleb Morris scored a total of four runs to begin the rally, then an RBI single from Rudy Gonzalez capped it off.

MONTGOMERY FORCES GAME 3

After a Game 1 loss, Montgomery rebounded and forced a Game 3 against state-ranked host Coppell on Friday.

Game 3 will be played at Montgomery on Saturday at 1 p.m.

In Game 1, the Bears (23-10-1) fell 3-1 to the Cowboys (30-5-1).

A 2-run home run from Blake Jackson in the bottom of the first inning was all the offense Coppell ended up needing to take the series lead.

Jackson homered again in the bottom of the fifth inning to put the Cowboys up 3-0.

In the top of the seventh, Montgomery got its lone run of Game 1 when Gavin LaBruyere scored Jordan Hood on a single.

Tristan Whitehead started on the mound for Montgomery in Game 1. He went five innings, struck out five, walked six and allowed four hits.

In Game 2, Montgomery got out front in the top of the first inning.

Hood scored Ben Shields with a single, then he scored on a passed ball for an early 2-0 lead.

RBI hits from Hood and Austin Pritchett in the top of the third extended the Bear lead to 4-0. Shields' RBI hit in the next inning made it 5-0.

Coppell inched its way back with four total home runs over the remainder of the game, but couldn't complete the comeback.

LaBruyere pitched a complete game, allowed 10 hits, struck out six and walked one in Game 2.

COLLEGE PARK TAKES DOWN JJ PEARCE IN GAME 1

The College Park Cavaliers got two home runs and scored runs in five out of seven innings Friday night as they took Game 1 of a Region II-6A area round series at JJ Pearce, 9-5.

Game 2 is set for 3 p.m. Saturday at College Park with Game 3 to follow if necessary.

Luke Repka hit a three-run homer in the first inning to give the Cavaliers (18-17-1) an early advantage. Luke Trahan then made it 5-1 in the top of the second with a two-run homer.

The Mustangs battled back to a 5-5 game in the fourth inning before College Park scored a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth to build back out to a more comfortable lead.

Jake Schill was 3-for-4 for College Park with an RBI. Josh Trahan also drove in a run.

Michael Loggins was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Brandon Garza went five innings for the win. He struck out six and allowed three earned runs. Noah Serafin went two innings in relief with just a hit a allowed and three strikeouts.